


the way they were

by BACHIBAE



Category: Blue Lock (Manga)
Genre: After Blue Lock, Angst, Confessions, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, LMAO IDK HOW TO TAG, Lowercase, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, Sleepovers, my god these bitches gay! good for them, they use their first names near the end i think, unnamed character pops up at the end but this aint about him so he goes unnamed and untagged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24707572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BACHIBAE/pseuds/BACHIBAE
Summary: "come over and spend the weekend here!" bachira practically yelled into the receiver.blue lock's resident boys in love spend a couple days together and do stupid things like drink black coffee and cry
Relationships: Isagi Yoichi/Bachira Meguru
Comments: 9
Kudos: 65





	the way they were

**Author's Note:**

> tw // short depressive episode, slight homophobia  
> i projected onto them whoopsies  
> also i love whenever charas allow each other to call each other by their first names i think its so sweet !!

isagi was watching soccer before his phone rang. it read _bachira :)_ and isagi picked up on the first ring. they'd exchanged numbers after getting eliminated from blue lock together, as their friendship wasn't going to end over something so trivial. also, isagi was absolutely whipped and didn't even expect to get bachira's number in return. a little too eager, he answered, "hey man, what's up?"

 _"come over and spend the weekend here!"_ bachira practically yelled into the receiver. 

"dude, your place is like two hours away, what the fuck?" sure, it was far away, but isagi had been wanting to see bachira again. it'd been about two months since their elimination and they'd talked plenty about making future plans, but this was abrupt and out of nowhere.

 _"okay, yeah, but my parents aren't gonna be home and we can totally do whatever we want!"_ if isagi was doubtful before, now he was already thinking about what to pack. there was no way he was missing out on this.

"seriously? alright, i'll get my stuff and pull up in three hours. be ready, loser." he hung up and hopped off the couch to head to his room. as fast as he was up, he was getting pulled in the opposite direction by the collar of his shirt. knowing well who it was, he sheepishly glanced up to meet her eyes.

"so, where are you 'pulling up' in three hours?" his mom asked in a suspicious tone. rolling his eyes at her embarrassing use of slang, he turned around and tried to explain himself.

"well, you know bachira? he asked me to stay over and i really wanna go, so can i?" he gave a (hardly) convincing smile and she just weakly glared.

"doesn't this boy live in chiba? and what about facetiming? you do that all the time."

"well, yeah, but this would be the first time we get to hang out outside of blue lock! c'mon mom, you're really denying your son the chance of happiness? guess i'll die and the blood'll be on your hands." he dramatically turned away from his mom, who was rolling her eyes at him lovingly. 

"i never said you couldn't go, just make sure his parents are home. don't want you falling too hard now!" he'd been out to his mother for months and she knew all about his crush. she playfully shoved pushed him in his room so he could pack and gave him a knowing smile. "i mean it, yoichi, i'm not ready to be a mother-in-law." heat rushed to his face at her implications and he forcefully shut the door.

"god, mom you're so weird." he yelled through the door and got to packing, the sound of his mom's laughter in the background. he grabbed a bag and started raiding the closet. tossing clothes aside, he picked a couple casual outfits and some sleepwear that were comfortable. he stuffed the bag with various other things, like his phone charger, toothbrush, deodorant, and other stuff. the bag was filled to the brim and isagi decided that was enough, zipping it closed. he quickly changed into clean clothes, grabbed his phone and left the room.

"mom, dad, i'm heading out!" before he could even put his shoes on, his mother pulled him into a tight hug, smothering him. "c'mon mom, let me actually leave the house." he said through a squished face. her arms dropped and he was finally able to put shoes on and walk out with a wave.

the train station wasn't too far from his house, at most it was a twenty minute walk, so he plugged his earbuds in and put on the _blue lock_ playlist. it was a collaborative playlist that all his friends could add songs to, bachira being the one to add the most songs. it was nice being able to find out just a little more about them, like how raichi loved babymetal but would rather die than admit it, or how chigiri listened to way too much lofi hip hop. he turned a corner and the station came into view. it was at that moment that isagi came back to reality.

"i'm going to fucking chiba." he whispered to nobody. the two hour trip intimidated him, but the excitement for seeing bachira again cancelled it out. he walked into the station and had to force the antsiness down so he wouldn't bounce off the walls.

  
  


bachira wasn't expecting that. he knew isagi was spontaneous, but not that spontaneous. _is he stupid or something?_ bachira knew he was trash at hiding his feelings, so either isagi was actually dense, or-

he put it out of mind and busied himself with other things, like calling his parents and telling them about his bad life choices.

_"hey s-"_

"mooooom! i invited isagi over for the weekend but he actually said yes and i don't know what to do, help me!" he flipped upside down on his bed and hung there as he whined. the blood rushed to his head, but he didn't mind.

a sigh. _"of all the weekends, it had to be this one? i wanted to meet him, y'know. all your babbling made me curious."_ his mouth bowed in a frown and he sat back up in a fluid motion.

"ugh, you're no help at all, put dad on the phone." he heard shuffling on the other line as he was getting ideas for time killers. right now, he was trying to stand on the arms of a spinning computer chair.

 _"meguru, what'd you do?"_ his dad sounded tired of his son's shit, but in the fatherly-love kind of way.

"dad i need advice, i invited that boy i like over so we could hang out but he's actually coming over and i'm nervous." pause.

 _"good nervous or bad nervous?"_ he came down and sat in the chair properly, thinking.

"hmmm. the good kind of nervous. it's not like i'm stuck somewhere, i'm actually restless right now." the 'bad kind of nervous', as his parents put it, would usually leave bachira so out of energy that he just didn't leave his room. those episodes didn't happen often, but when they did, it was intense. like every other aspect of his life, it was quality over quantity.

 _"oh, good, then try not to overthink it! if everything you've said is true, then you should be fine. and if things do go wrong, just call us and we'll come crash your little party, okay?"_ laughter came from the phone as bachira slipped out of the chair and onto his feet.

"alright dad, thanks! tell mom she was no help at all and that i love her very much. have fun on your trip, don't miss me too much!" his parents were going on a well deserved vacation that was 'meguru free'. they said their byes and hung up soon after. he decided to try and kill time by going into the backyard and practicing. 

after about ten minutes and a handful of shots aimed at the house (something he'd been told many times not to do), he heard his phone go off. letting the ball fly past, he checked what it was.

 **isagi :P :** oh my god you never told me your address LMAO IDK WHERE I'M GOING

reading the text, he cracked up laughing. they were both so caught up in seeing each other that they didn't even think about an address. bachira typed out a response, some stray giggles escaping.

 **bachira :) :** WHOOPS lemme send u my location lol

he sent it and unsurprisingly, got an answer pretty quickly, though it wasn't one he was expecting. he got sent a selfie from the train, which would send bachira over the moon, if only isagi weren't flipping him off with a teeny hint of a smile on his lips. 

**isagi :P :** you're so evil for making me come all this way

bachira's face flushed as he shamelessly saved the picture. he kept every picture and video because he'd taken seeing isagi in person for granted back at blue lock. back when team z was still a thing, they would often stay up late and practice together, and even if that wasn't an option, they slept across from each other, so they always saw each other around. in a way, bachira missed blue lock, even if it was a rigorous hell that constantly pushed him past his limits, physically and mentally.

 **isagi :P :** gtg this shits moving see u in a bit bye

his smile fell, he wanted to keep talking, but figured that was a little selfish. sulking a bit, he headed inside towards his bedroom. he caught his sketchbook lying on the floor, and he decided to doodle to pass the time. since his mother was an artist, she tried to encourage him to do it too, even if it was just a hobby that came second to soccer. he picked it up and sat at the desk, trying to find things to draw.

his mind kept coming back to one conclusion, but he was choosing to ignore it. there was no way he'd be so much of a hopeless romantic as to draw his crush. he hated that part of him, the vulnerable side who wanted to express himself and let the whole world know about his crush on his best friend. it felt stupid and childish, so he settled for drawing his monster instead. this usually happened, if he couldn't find a subject he'd resort to the monster. that's not too different than what he did with soccer, which frustrated him. the pencil's lead snapped from the pressure he didn't realize he put on it.

 _fuck, this is gonna be a long wait..._ he thought to himself as he grabbed a new pencil and went back to sketching.

  
  


isagi got off the train, finally arriving in chiba after two long hours. if what bachira sent was right, then his house should be about a half hour walk from the station, which sounded like hell just to see his friend. of course he was going to walk the distance, but not without spamming bachira's phone with complaints.

 **isagi :P :** jfc you're making me run a damn marathon

 **isagi :P :** and spotify put on yr whack ass music smh

 **isagi :P :** boyfriend by big time rush? cmon man i don't have anymore skips spare me

 **bachira :) :** WOW bad taste in music AND free spotify? who's rlly struggling here

 **isagi :P :** idk how to tell you that listening to btr is a struggle in itself

isagi pocketed his phone for a moment as he passed railroad tracks. while he waited for an answer, he took in the scenery he'd previously ignored. the housing was beautiful and unique, each place littered with plants. _chiba really is pretty. it's fitting,_ he thought while walking under fruit trees. the phone buzzed again and he once again got absorbed in it.

 **bachira :) :** whatever so how close are you?? the sun is starting to set chop chop isagi !!

cue (endearing) eye roll.

 **isagi :P :** fuck off lmao i should be like 20ish mins away at least i'm not listening to big time rush anymore

 **bachira :) :** well u better BE in a big time rush we are not playing soccer in the dark !!

he forced himself not to laugh at the stupid pun, as usual. though, the last part of that text didn't sit well with him. _is that all he invited me over for? i mean, it makes sense._ it was true that he wanted to play soccer with bachira, but he also wanted... more, in a way. not a confess-his-feelings-and-hope-he-feels-the-same kind of more, it's just, he wanted to do things regular friends did too, not just soccer. _maybe i just expect too much.._

 **isagi :P :** your puns are awful you know

 **bachira :) :** yeah but you love them admit it~

he blushed angrily. of course he does.

 **bachira :) :** wow leaving me on read? fake asf

 **isagi :P :** i'm LITERALLY walking to your house bc you called me out of the blue and told me to if anyone's fake its u

 **bachira :) :** :O salty! really tho, hurry up :((

 **isagi :P :** yeah yeah i'm working on it

he pocketed his phone and hit play on their playlist while walking through the city. if he had a little extra spring in his step, he wasn't going to acknowledge it.

  
  


to say bachira was nervous would be an understatement. of course, he wasn't gonna let his anxiousness show when isagi actually came around, but that didn't mean it wasn't taking over his mind. _what if things aren't the same? if they're awkward? fuck, it's been a couple months... maybe this was a bad idea._ he got up from the chair and went outside again, anxiously fidgeting while doing so.

a sigh escaped his lips as he picked up the soccer ball. _c'mon meguru. there's nothing to be worried about, just chill out._ he put the ball down and started dribbling in a desperate attempt. no matter what he told himself, his nerves just couldn't calm down. he'd never had a friend, much less had one come over and spend the night. why he even invited isagi over in the first place was beyond him. he sent the ball at the house again in annoyance, but it came back to him like it always did. he caught it with his hands and laid down in the grass soon after.

 _i can't believe i invited isagi over for a sleepover. alone._ realization hit, and bachira hated it. _what if he doesn't even like guys? fuck, what if he's homophobic? i could literally be crushing on a homophobe again, oh my god._ he wished that wasn't the case, isagi was too nice of a guy to possibly be a homophobe. laid in the setting sun, he instead tried to think positive thoughts. 

_i don't have to come out or confess... just being friends is enough, right? besides, i'm really excited to see him and he came all this way to hang._ a warmth bloomed in his chest. _we're still friends, feelings or not,_ he reminded himself. he'd rather have isagi's friendship than nothing at all.

  
  


isagi took his earbuds out and put his phone away because he was (apparently) standing in front of bachira's house. the directions said this was it, but he didn't know how accurate they were, so he settled for calling him and asking.

_"what's up now?"_

"wow, attitude, i was gonna ask if your place has hanging plants and rocking chairs on the porch."

bachira gasped and hung up abruptly. "dickhead." he said while staring at his phone. walking up and knocking seemed like his only option at that point, so he did. no answer. at least, not from inside the house. instead, he heard someone hop a fence and the sound of running. "please don't be-"

"isagi!" was the last thing he heard before nearly being tackled to death. bachira had jumped on him like he'd done so many times at blue lock and isagi lost balance for a moment. 

"oh my fucking god, bachira!" the words seemed annoyed, but his stupidly big smile could be heard in his voice.

"i missed you!" bachira was clinging to isagi and ruffling his hair while he was still trying to stand up straight. despite that, he wouldn't trade bachira's antics for the world.

"yeah yeah, i missed you too, now get off me dude, i need to breathe." he hopped off and isagi was finally able to see his face, the one he couldn't get enough of.

"ahaha sorry, it's a habit! anyways, lemme get that for you." bachira snatched his bag away and started walking back towards the backyard. _fuck, this is really happening..._ he really couldn't believe that they were hanging out casually instead of being at each other's throats in soccer.

"thanks, but uh, do you have food? i haven't eaten in a couple hours." he felt bad that the first thing he did was beg for food, but he didn't think he'd be making a three hour trip today, so he hadn't eaten dinner. bachira turned and started walking backwards, flashing him a smile.

"duh, of course! i don't really know what ingredients we have, but we can totally try to cook or something." he opened the gate and let isagi go in first. _it's been like two minutes and i already can't keep myself together-_ "you just gonna stand there, or?" _oh fuck._ isagi didn't even realize he'd stopped.

"yeah my bad, thought i dropped something." _i'm so smart._ bachira rolled his eyes with a smirk and shoved him in the backyard.

"take your stuff and go inside, i'll be there in a minute, kay?" he dropped the bag on the ground and left isagi on the other side of the fence.

  
  


bachira knew that was stupid and slightly suspicious (but only if isagi used his brain for once), but he wasn't gonna look like an idiot right in front of the person making him act like one. he pressed his back up against the door and sat there for a moment. _i can't believe this is really happening!_

a quick and painless slap to his face was all it took to get him composed again. _okay, calm down, just act normal,_ he thought while he proceeded to act as not normal as possible. his cheeks were beginning to heat up, but despite that, he still walked back into the yard and headed towards the backdoor.

isagi was buried in his pantry when he came back inside. "wow, when was the last time you ate?" he called out. isagi's head whipped around and he wore an embarrassed blush.

"oh shut up, i haven't eaten since noon." bachira's jaw dropped and isagi stared. "what?"

"are you stupid? it's seven pm! aren't you starving? what do you want, we'll make it." he walked into the kitchen and leaned against the fridge next to isagi.

"uhhh, these work," he answered while holding up noodles, which bachira then grabbed out of his hands.

"alright, i'm gonna play some music, kay?" he set the noodles down and started looking for pots and pans, phone in hand while thinking of what playlist to put on.

"play blue lock," isagi called out, head still in the pantry. bachira nodded and put it on, but the song that played was one he usually didn't hear.

"who added slow dancing in the dark by joji to the playlist?" he asked while filling a pot up with water. isagi poked his head out, listening, and bachira stared, waiting for an answer and also because he could get away with it.

"i think rin did, he's got a pretty good taste in music." isagi said as he grabbed chicken broth and set it on the counter. 

"woah, rin listens to music? wait wait, rin has a phone?" bachira bust out laughing at the thought of rin, the boy who only ever wanted to beat sae, doing something so simple like taking part in a group playlist. isagi rolled his eyes with a smile and grabbed the phone, queuing some songs.

"i thought the same thing, but he asked me to add him in, so what am i gonna do, say no? it's fucking itoshi rin." _oh? interesting..._ he thought as he turned the stove on and placed the pot on it.

"since when are you and rin so buddy-buddy? thought you guys hated each other or something?" bachira slipped the noodles in and stirred as the music played.

  
  


isagi panicked for a moment. _oh shit. what's he gonna think? i mean, he is my best friend, so i guess i can trust him..._ "uhhhhh, fuck okay. promise you won't laugh or anything?" bachira looked up from the pot and looked at him questioningly. still, he nodded slowly and isagi let out a sigh. "i kind of had a thing for him, back at blue lock, and i told him and got rejected." bachira's eyes widened in surprise. "but we're friends now and i don't like him anymore!" he tacked that last part on just for clarification. _god that was such a shit coming out, i wanna die._ if he wanted to die before, he absolutely did now, because bachira was starting to laugh a little bit.

"i swear i'm not laughing at your rejection, hold on, just gimme a minute!" he was full on, doubled over laughing at this point and isagi just stood and watched, blushing like crazy. _i hate him so much, he's just rubbing salt in the wound at this point._ bachira wiped a little tear from his eyes as he regained composure. "sorry, i swear i wasn't making fun of you! it's just, the exact same thing happened to me!" now isagi was the one to be surprised. if there was any answer he was expecting, that absolutely wasn't it.

"no fucking way, seriously?" he was asking partly because of their coincidence, and partly because he couldn't believe bachira not only accepted him, but liked guys too.

"yeah for real! did he hit you with the 'i don't care for relationships, go back home if you're not here for soccer and soccer only.' or was that just me?" bachira asked while grabbing a pan and putting it on the stove next to the pot of boiling noodles.

"oh my god, word for word. i wanted to punch him in the face after that mess." he eyed bachira even though he was all over the kitchen.

"do you want any sorta meat? i can slap some on real quick if you want." he thought it over for a moment.

"no it's cool, thanks though."

"kay. kinda ironic though, how he 'doesn't care for relationships' yet he listens to this kinda music." isagi stared at him in confusion.

"what d'you mean 'this kinda music'? i like it." bachira rolled his eyes as he put the pan away.

"i like this song too, but it's about dying love. it just doesn't seem like rin, that's all." he said while watching the noodles boil. the way bachira talked about rin put isagi off for a minute. "ugh, this is taking so long and rin's edgy music ruined my mood." bachira grabbed his phone from the counter and smirked. "imma play your favorite song, kay?" _do i even have one?_

apparently he did, and it was fucking boyfriend by big time rush. "you have the worst taste in music y'know?" he said with a grin.

"c'mon, don't be such a wet blanket, isagi! 'i heard that you're looking for a boyfriend, i see that, gimme time, you know i'm gonna be there!' you've gotta know the lyrics by now, don't be shy." he sang badly and danced around the kitchen. even if isagi pretended to be annoyed, he liked watching bachira be so himself. out of nowhere, he grabbed isagi's wrist and shoved a microphone (actually just a wooden spoon) in his face.

"u-uh, the noodles are probably overcooked by now, y'know?" he asked in an attempt to get out of the situation. bachira's smile drooped and the arm holding the spoon fell back to his side.

"boo, get off the stage, wet blanket! no fun allowed with isagi yoichi!" he yelled at the ceiling while walking over to the pot. isagi felt a little guilty that he spoiled the fun. truth was, he really did want to join in, he just knew he wouldn't be able to hold back. there'd be no going back if he started singing a cheesy love song with the guy he liked. bachira grabbed his phone and paused the music with a dramatic pout.

"shut up, we have fun all the time, dude." he put a hand on bachira's shoulder and he noticeably flinched. "hey, are you okay? no jokes." bachira turned around and flashed him that smile of his.

"yeah, don't worry! i just wasn't expecting you to do touch me like that." his attention went back to the noodles and isagi was relieved, yet confused.

"what do you mean?" he watched bachira drain the noodles and put them in a separate bowl so there was room for the broth in the pot. 

"hmm. it's like, i gotta know it's coming or have already told you it's okay beforehand? like in soccer, it's expected, but here it just came out of nowhere. just scares me a little, that's it." the broth went in the pot and he stood by, waiting for it to heat up. isagi leaned against a counter and pushed his luck.

"can i ask why?" he knew it was a personal question and that bachira had no obligation to answer it, but if there was a chance he did, isagi wanted to know. bachira's eyes darted around the room, something he did when he was thinking hard.

his expression turned somber before he spoke, a face he'd never seen bachira make. "i just got into a lot of fights growing up. that alone was bad enough, but of course, i also was pretty lonely. because of the fights. i kind of did it to myself, huh?" silence.

isagi would've started apologizing profusely for prying if bachira hadn't shook himself out of it and put on a smile again. "ahaha, sorry! didn't mean to overshare, my bad. i think this is done, you can sit down if you want." that really didn't sit well with isagi, but he kept his mouth shut and went to the table. he'd pried enough for one night.

  
  
bachira hated the fact that isagi could make him open up about something like that, even just a little bit. the way that isagi looked at him while listening was an image he knew he wouldn't be able to get out of his head. everyone who'd ever heard him talk about his real feelings (his mom, dad, and one other person) just gave him the same, pitying look. isagi didn't.

 _okay, now's not the time. you can worry about this later,_ he thought as he poured the broth into the bowl of noodles. a pair of chopsticks was all that was left and he took the food to the table. "here. this is the last time i'm cooking for you though, so don't expect too much, kay?" he 'sat down' (by that, sat as wrong as possible) across from isagi, who was still looking a little off.

"thanks, but where's your bowl?" isagi cocked his head and started grabbing at noodles.

"i didn't make any for me, i already ate. this is for you, dude." he explained as isagi went wide eyed and froze.

"oh, thanks. but, sorry about touching you, i didn't know." bachira groaned in annoyance while he ate.

"you," emphasis on that, "can do it, i was just surprised. i don't care as long as it's you, so it's no big deal alright? just eat your food before it gets cold and you'll have a real reason to apologize." he offered a smile, which isagi then (barely) blushed at. bachira assumed it was because of the hot food.

"thanks. also this is pretty good!" he said between chewing. _finally, he dropped it._

"it better be, i didn't use up the last of our noodles for nothing." moving his legs around so he was sat properly, he rested his head down on his arms.

"you didn't have to do that, dumbass." isagi said and soon after, gave a light chop on his head. bachira laughed softly to himself, _i'm so far gone..._ silence fell upon them as isagi ate and bachira tried napping. it was a comfortable silence, though. no pressure to talk, just two boys enjoying each other's presence.

head still down, he heard isagi get up and put his now dirty dishes in the sink. "you wanna practice real quick?" he asked while shaking bachira's shoulders. no flinch this time.

"mhm, gimme a minute though," he mumbled through a yawn. bachira stood up and stretched, then joined up with isagi outside. to say he was happy would be a severe understatement.

  
  


what was supposed to be a 'quick practice' easily turned into three hours of practice. though he was tired as hell, isagi loved playing soccer with bachira, so if being on the brink of collapsing was what it took to stay with him, he would do it without a doubt.

"god, i haven't felt this tired since blue lock! you good?" bachira asked breathlessly after cooling down. 

"yeah, yeah i just need a minute." he took a quick sip of water and finally caught his breath. "so who's showering first? unless you're thinking of sleeping like... that." they shared a quick laugh and started going to bachira's room.

"duh i'm gonna shower, d'you think i'm fucking gross or something?" he threw a playful punch at isagi's arm and opened the door. "sorry it's kind of a mess, i can't clean to save my life."

"yeah, i know. anyways, rock paper scissors?" bachira nodded and held out his fist. "rock, paper, scissors-" isagi's loss.

"i win! don't stink up my room while i'm gone or you're sleeping outside!" he quickly grabbed fresh clothes and left isagi alone in the room. not really knowing what to do, he sat down and leaned against the bed frame. _this place just screams bachira._ he hadn't actually taken in the whole place until then. the walls were painted yellow and white- _as if his eyes weren't enough yellow_ \- and covered in pictures, posters, and art, which took isagi by surprise. he stood up to get a closer look.

the piece he was looking at was a little abstract by isagi's standards. it was a pair of eyes with varying hues of light blue making up the background. the eyes themselves were vibrant and dark cobalt blue and instead of a regular shaped pupil, it was a pentagon. not just any pentagon though, the one that was all over blue lock's facilities. what really caught isagi's attention was the sort of black smoke that came from them. he had no idea whose eyes they were, or what the piece even meant, or if it had a meaning at all. he just knew that it was beautiful and attention grabbing, but not in the bad way that felt like being watched.

"wow, bachira painted this?" he looked around for a signature and there it was, in the bottom right corner as usual. _meguru :)_ "of course his signature has a smiley face, what a nerd." making a mental note to compliment his art, isagi went back to the floor and laid down.

"...meguru." he whispered to himself. he didn't know why, but he just wanted to try using his first name. it felt... right. he put it out of mind and swore not to actually call him that unless told so. _it'd just be weird anyways._ a little disappointed, he reached for his phone and busied himself while waiting.

  
  
bachira walked into his room and found isagi on the floor, so he gave him a little kick. "get up, you can go shower now." no response. "dude, are you sleeping?" a couple kicks later, and isagi woke up.

"ow, what?" bachira couldn't help but laugh at his slight bedhead.

"your turn to shower." he tossed a clean towel onto isagi's face and went to his bed. "y'know, i was gonna put out a futon for you, unless you prefer the floor." he teased.

"god, no. i didn't even realize i fell asleep." he got up and grabbed some clean clothes from his bag and stood still in the middle of the room. "bachira,"

all of his senses sharpened at that. _oh no. oh god, i'm fucked, wait-_ "hm?" 

"that's a really cool painting." isagi said casually while pointing at something on his wall. he turned to see which one it was and the answer scared him shitless.

"oh my god, the blue one?" _whoops._ he hadn't meant to say that first part out loud. or sound so surprised.

"yeah? do you not like it or something?" isagi looked at him, just a little upset.

"no, it's actually one of my favorites, it's just embarrassing is all." he rubbed the nape of his neck while thoughts raced in his head. _please don't ask why, please don't ask why, please don't ask why-_

"why?" bachira groaned loud and shoved him out the room.

"you ask too many questions! now go and shower, you still reek, dude." he closed the door and hoped isagi wouldn't press any further. lucky for him, the bathroom door closed and he could breathe again. he threw himself on the bed and quietly screamed into a pillow. _of all the things on the wall, that was what he had to see? he has to know they're his eyes. he's probably really weirded out which is fair but he's never gonna talk to me again and i'm fucked._ his face smushed into the pillow harder and he felt like screaming again.

tears started to soak in the pillow. he'd never regretted making any sort of art before. sure, there were some pieces he hated, but never ones he wished didn't exist. to think that of his favorite painting hurt a lot. suddenly, he started feeling drowsy. not even caring to get under the covers or turn the lights off, bachira fell asleep.

  
  
isagi walked out of the bathroom and knocked on bachira's door. "if you don't say anything in the next five seconds, i'm just gonna come in." he warned through the door. _one, two, three, four, five._ "hide whatever embarrassing thing you're doing-" isagi walked in and saw bachira asleep on the bed, with no futon out. "so you just want me to sleep on the floor? yeah, no." 

he walked towards the closet in hopes that it was there and luckily, it was. standing on his tip toes, he grabbed it from the top shelf and laid it out on the ground. a quick search around the room earned him a blanket and he was finally ready to sleep. "you're already asleep, but goodnight, bachira." isagi stared at him for a minute, and noticed something was off. _was he... crying?_ everything was telling him he was right, and isagi hated that. he got up to turn the lights off and then snuggled up under his blanket. "whatever it was you were crying about, i hope you're okay. 'night."

  
  
bachira woke up at the ungodly hour of 2:31AM. he didn't have to open his eyes to figure out that was probably the most sleep he was going to get. his body felt so heavy and immovable, mind felt full of static. it was a 'bad nervous' episode. he knew he couldn't handle himself in the room with isagi there too, so bachira got up, even if every alarm in his brain was telling him not to. the first thing that registered when he tried to get up was the fact that he accidentally kicked isagi in the face.

"oh god, please don't wake up, please." bachira whispered to himself. to his surprise, he actually didn't wake up. "thanks," he added while trying to walk out as quietly as possible. the bathroom was the safest place for him to go, so he locked himself in.

he let out a shaky breath and sat against the door. his mind wanted to sob hard and let things out for once, but he physically couldn't. he was so tired. instead of sobbing, he sat with his knees up to his chest and stared at the ground in a daze.

this wasn't about the art anymore, not about isagi anymore, this wasn't about anything. he wished he could put the blame on any one thing, but knew that wouldn't be fair to whatever he blamed. _why today, why right now when i'm with my best friend?_ that was what bothered him most about this episode, he felt ungrateful. his best friend and guy he liked was over at his house, yet here bachira was, having a breakdown over nothing in particular.

the ground was cold and he felt numb. his body was heavily weighted and his brain felt full of crumpled up paper balls. that was nothing new to him.

what was new however, was the knock that came from the other side of the door. he was so out of energy that he didn't even react to it. "bachira, i know you're in there, open up." isagi's voice sounded muffled through the wall. he didn't want to open up, physically and metaphorically, so he didn't.

a sigh came from the other side. "are you okay? i know you were crying earlier, and i'm sorry you're sad. wait that sounded rude, sorry." that last part was a little more lighthearted, it sounded like isagi. there was a long pause.

"we don't have to talk about this if you don't want to, just say something. please?" bachira hated hearing him plead like that, so he finally spoke up.

"so i actually did wake you up with that kick in the face?" he was trying to sound better than he felt, but his voice betrayed him.

"oh, yeah, but you sounded worried about it, so i just stayed still for a minute." _of course he did._ more uncomfortable silence.

"...you couldn't have just gone back to sleep?" his knees fell from his chest and he relaxed for a moment.

"of course not. i can't just ignore my best friend who's hurting. besides, you'd do the same for me." isagi sounded so confident in him. he couldn't understand why. slowly, bachira started to get up so he could leave. it took a minute, but he unlocked the door and weakly opened it. 

the moonlight from the window barely shone on isagi, but he didn't need the light to know that his expression hurt. he wore a mix of confusion, worry, and something else he couldn't place. bachira knew his deadpan was nothing in comparison. 

"hey," he said cautiously. isagi kept eyeing him, as if reading him like a book. bachira looked at the ground and tried again. "look, i-" his words got cut off by isagi pulling him into a hug. for the first time since he woke up, he was taken aback and felt something different than emptiness.

it was disappointment.

disappointed that he couldn't find it in him to hug back. disappointed that isagi was doing so much for him and he couldn't even return such a simple gesture. _why can't i just be grateful?_ he stayed limp in isagi's arms, angry tears threatening to fall.

"you can't fix this or me." his voice cracked and the tears fell. he so desperately wished that a meaningless hug could wash away all of his problems.

"don't be stupid, dude. there's no 'fixing' you, you're a person. i just don't want you to be alone right now. you're..." a small pause. "you're important to me, bachira. we're best friends." he pushed bachira away, hands still keeping a grip on his shoulders.

"i know, it's not that i don't trust you, it's just... hard for me to talk about these things." he avoided eye contact, scared of what he might see if he didn't. "um, can we move somewhere else? standing is tiring." a little lightbulb went off in isagi's brain and he nodded, taking bachira's hand and leading them to the living room. bachira didn't feel anything while holding his hand, something he'd wanted for so long. they sat across from each other on the couch and neither moved a muscle.

"sorry for waking up and bothering you, i didn't think this would happen." not too long after he spoke, isagi kicked him in the shin. 

"if i'm not allowed to apologize then you're not either, okay?" he was probably talking about dinner. "just... what's wrong? if you don't wanna talk, then just say so, alright?" _i really don't deserve him._ bachira sighed.

"it's like i said, it's hard to talk about. not because the reason is some deep dark secret, but because there is no reason. some days i just wake up feeling like this and there's nothing i can do but wait it out." even though he was feeling like garbage, he found a small victory when he realized he was speaking with his hands again.

"that makes sense, but why were you crying while i was showering?" bachira stiffened up.

"that..." _i guess i don't have much else to lose._ "was about the painting." out of the corner of his eye, he saw isagi perk up.

"what? it's so cool though, why are you embarrassed by it?" bachira knew he was going to ask that, but still wasn't prepared for the nervousness that came. he buried his face into his knees, bringing them closer to his chest.

"i- i thought you knew." he let out a shaky breath and stared into dark cobalt blue eyes. "i thought you figured out that's what i see when i look into your eyes."

  
  
_me?_ things finally clicked together and isagi was more than shocked. "when you see my eyes?" he wanted to be sure he heard right and wasn't just imagining this. bachira nodded slowly in the moonlight.

"i know it's weird, that's why i cried about it. i'll throw it away if you want, or do whatever you want with it." he put his head down, ashamed.

"holy shit, don't throw it away! it's not weird at all, nothing wrong about with an inspiration, dude. don't get rid of it, i really like it." isagi moved closer to bachira, who was shaken up.

"really?" he asked quiet and unsure.

"duh! i don't see you any differently, so don't worry about it." he reassured.

that was partly a lie.

he did see bachira differently, but in the best way possible. if there was any positive thing to come from this situation, it was that isagi yoichi finally realized that this wasn't a crush anymore. he was in love with bachira meguru.

"thanks, isagi. it means a lot." he lifted his head and moved so he was sitting cross legged. though it was small and barely noticeable, there was a smile on bachira's face.

"yeah, of course. what're friends for?" isagi beamed at him. they sat across from each other in newfound quiet.

a minute passes. "hey, isagi?" bachira was staring down at his hands as if there was a book written on them. "can we sleep out here on the couch? just for tonight?" that caught him off guard.

"uh, is it big enough for the both of us?" he knew it wasn't big enough for them to have their own space. though, he really did want to because it meant they would have to sleep close together.

"no, but let's sleep here anyways. unless you don't want to, and i'd get it." the insecurity could be heard in bachira's voice. _is he seriously asking...?_

"for real?" nod. "yeah, we can sleep here. i don't mind." relief visibly washed over bachira and he laid down on a pillow.

"you just gonna sleep sitting up or what? c'mon, i'm sure you're tired too." he said while tugging on isagi's shirt. he smiled and laid down, facing bachira. isagi couldn't help but notice how close their faces were.

he couldn't help but want to close what little space was left.

"thanks. for everything. goodnight, isagi." bachira whispered as he closed his eyes and went to sleep. isagi recollected his thoughts and forced himself to stop thinking about it. _don't take advantage of him like that... you're just friends, remember?_

he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. it was hard though, when the boy he liked was just a few inches away. when the boy he liked was tangling their legs together unconsciously. eventually though, he drifted asleep next to bachira at 3:16AM.

  
  


bachira quietly woke up after some well deserved sleep at 11:03AM. it took him a moment to take in his surroundings, but when he was fully conscious, he internally panicked. he was wrapped up in isagi's arms and pressed up against his chest while he was still sleeping. _is this seriously happening?_ isagi's hands were tangled in his hair and that alone was enough to send him over the edge. bachira wanted to stay like this with him as long as he possibly could. _what if this was just an accident and doesn't mean anything?_ even if it was an accident, he'd never felt more... loved. 

_love?_

he decided to stop thinking about it and instead, think of how to get out without waking isagi up. _maybe i can just wiggle out below?_ he thought about that for a moment. _ew, no. fuck, maybe i can just move his arms an hope he doesn't wake up._ he turned around and slowly lifted isagi's arm off of his waist (he secretly missed the contact) and, to bachira's surprise, he didn't wake up. he rolled off the couch onto the floor with a thud.

"ouch..." he whispered as he stood up. his eyes were drawn to isagi once again, who was now looking for something to hold onto. _he's so cute, what a dumbass._ he thought as he grabbed a pillow and laid it next to him. once he took the bait, bachira walked into the kitchen to make some coffee. 

his mind wandered back to last nights events as he grabbed the coffee and some filters. _i can't believe that happened. and that we slept on the couch together and woke up like that. god, when did that even happen? i don't remember going to sleep like that..._ he made his way to the sink to get water to put in the machine while his mind raced. _maybe i should just pretend it didn't happen and hope he doesn't bring it up, but..._ he stopped dumping coffee powder into the filter. _i don't want to forget that feeling._ a wide smile broke out and he closed the top of the coffee maker, waiting on it to brew.

 _maybe i should've just pretended to be asleep and let isagi take care of that. that would've been so funny, damn!_ he quietly giggled to himself and glanced at the couch to make sure isagi was still asleep. lucky for him, he was, and his coffee was done too. he reached up into the cupboards and grabbed his favorite mug to fill it up. once it was where he wanted, bachira walked outside to sit. he loved sitting on the deck, observing the world and letting it pass by while he simply existed within it.

yet, he couldn't stop thinking about last night. isagi's words rang in his brain, _"you're important to me, bachira."_ he looked down into his reflection in the coffee. "is that really true?" he whispered to nobody. the answer he got was a breeze that whistled in his ear and messed up his hair. he looked up at the sky accusingly and took a long, exaggerated sip of coffee, daring the wind to try it again.

"you done being weird, or is it too early in the morning?" bachira practically jumped out of his skin at isagi's sudden appearance. he walked over and sat in the chair next to him.

"mornin' to you too, isagi. and i'm not weird, you're just mean." his tone was playful, but he really hated the words isagi chose to use.

"i saw you talk to your coffee, which is black. how can you even drink that?" he pointed a judgmental finger at his mug.

"what me and my black coffee talked about is none of your business! and it's good, you're just a coward." bachira dramatically pouted at isagi, who was starting to laugh a little bit. that brought a small smile to his face.

"lemme have some then, i'm not a coward." isagi held his hand out and had that challenging look in his eyes. he handed the mug over smugly. their fingers brushed past each other and bachira felt every nerve light up.

he watched isagi take a sip and flinch from the bitterness. "so who's not a coward?" bachira teased. isagi glared at him and took a longer sip than necessary while holding eye contact. "wow, don't hurt yourself trying to show off for me, i'm flattered." he wore a shit eating grin while watching isagi try not to gag.

he shoved the mug back in bachira's face, who took it back with pleasure. "that is so ass, i almost died trying to drink it." he said while wiping his mouth.

"told you so." bachira replied, satisfied. he looked down at the mug and came to a tiny realization. _indirect kiss..._ trying not to be obvious about it, he took a sip.

"so, i take it you're feeling better?" isagi asked. though he knew it was coming eventually, it still caught him by surprise.

"yeah, sorry about last night and keeping you up and stuff-" a kick from under the table. "ow, what was that for?" he whined while rubbing his leg.

"cut that out, i already told you not to worry about it." isagi said with a glare. _i'm definitely in too deep._

"right, thanks." he beamed, feeling full of a warm feeling.

  
  
isagi couldn't look directly at bachira. his smile was far too bright and he was so carefree drinking that black coffee. he was himself again, and isagi couldn't be more relieved. whatever happened last night completely shifted his view of bachira.

to isagi, he was one of the funniest people he knew, someone who would never turn down a game of soccer, and a cocky little shit. now, it was clear that behind all of that, he was just an insecure boy who hid his vulnerability behind a bright smile and a false sense of confidence.

"you wanna go out?" bachira asked out of the blue. _hold up-_

"hm?" he responded, trying to play it casually.

"like, to the city or something!" _of course that's what he meant,_ "i know a couple good places like cafés, restaurants, cool junk like that. so?" there it was again, that smile that only bachira could pull off.

"yeah, sounds fun." he said with a grin.

"nice! we gotta get into some real clothes though, which kinda sucks." bachira said while getting up from his chair, mug in hand.

"true," he yawned through his words and followed him inside. "man, i'm so tired."

"me too. there's some coffee in the pot and creamer in the fridge if you want. imma go get changed, so do whatever you want for a bit." he said while going the opposite direction. isagi decided coffee would be a good idea and he looked through cupboards for a mug.

he found a bright yellow mug and assumed it was bachira's, meaning he could use it. _he really loves yellow, huh?_ a smile came as he poured the coffee in. _it's cute._ he went to the fridge for creamer, but couldn't find any. _there's no way i'm drinking that battery acid again._

"bachira! where's your creamer?" isagi yelled into the hall.

"i literally told you it's in the fridge!" his voice came through muffled and isagi frowned.

"yeah, well, you lied!" an annoyed huff came from the room as bachira walked out and towards him. with no shirt on.

"don't you have eyes?" he moved isagi aside for a second, not even realizing how worked up he was. "here, or do i have to pour it in for you too?" bachira forced the bottle into his hands with a smirk before going back to his room.

isagi felt his face start to heat up. it wasn't like that was the first time he'd seen bachira without a shirt on, it was just different that time. for whatever reason. he shook himself out of it and poured in the creamer. _is it any different though? maybe it's because we're alone..._

"you done yet?" bachira said as he walked in, wearing a yellow, floral print, hawaiian shirt and cuffed white shorts. even his vans matched the whole color palette. isagi looked him up and down and felt like either confessing his love right then and there, or throwing an insult at him.

"bachira, you look like a walking pineapple." he (disappointingly) settled for the latter.

he choked back a laugh before answering, "what! you don't get to say that about my clothes when you're still in your pajamas. go change so we can leave, and take your milk with you!" bachira said, holding out the mug. _yellow looks so good on you,_ isagi thought as he took the mug from his hand. he wished he could say that to his face.

"th-thanks, but that doesn't make up for the pineapple thing! now get into some clothes already." _WAIT, FUCK-_ bachira spun him around and gave him a light push out of the kitchen. he didn't realize he'd said that out loud. isagi would be panicking much worse than he already was, had it not been for the heavy blush on bachira's face. he'd never seen him so red, or even be flustered like that. _i did that? okay but i also embarrassed the shit out of myself. just don't let things be awkward, please,_ he prayed before going inside to change into proper clothing.

  
  
bachira couldn't stop himself from blushing so hard. even his ears burned red, and that didn't happen often. _what the hell? was that for real? am i hallucinating or something?_ he buried his face in his hands as an attempt to calm down. _what if that was just another accident?_ logically, he knew compliments didn't just come out of nowhere, but he couldn't wrap his head around the idea that maybe, isagi likes him back. _of course he doesn't, friends can compliment each other._

_"yellow looks so good on you."_

_fuck._ he knew that would stay ingrained in his mind for a while.

instead of just standing there like an idiot, bachira sat down on the couch and hoped he looked less embarrassed. he scrolled through social media for a minute, trying to distract himself. it wasn't the funnest thing in the world, but it always did a good job of getting his mind off things and calming him down. 

"dude, i'm so sorry, i didn't even realize i said anything, okay?" isagi said, walking in the room. he wore a light blue collared shirt with high waisted black jeans and black chunky filas. bachira laughed at that, _of course he didn't know. dumbass._ he got up from the couch and put a hand on isagi's shoulder.

"blue looks really good on you. just so we're even." walking past, he wondered out loud. "so, where to first? i was thinking we could get lunch since we slept through breakfast." he turned around to look at isagi, who was now red too.

"uh, yeah, that works." he said, a little dazed. bachira smiled and lead them outside for their day out. they talked back and forth while walking towards the city, still wearing light blushes.

  
  
it was 12:24PM and isagi was looking hurriedly through a menu at a restaurant he'd never been to. "can i get gyoza and a water please?" bachira asked politely. the waiter turned to isagi and he definitely flinched.

"uh, can i get norimaki sushi? and a water too? thanks." bachira eyed him while waiting for the guy to leave. "what?"

"seaweed is so gross, there's like a billion other things to eat, y'know." he said, eyebrow raised.

"how do you not like seaweed? it's fucking seaweed, dude." they both took a sip from their water.

"it's like fish paper! have you ever eaten paper? it's nasty." isagi choked on his water for a moment, then started laughing when he could breathe again.

"what the hell, why have you ate paper? that's even worse than seaweed, dumbass!" bachira looked surprised, for some reason?

"weren't you ever a kid? kids eat stupid shit they're not supposed to all the time!" he tried explaining himself, but isagi just tried to contain even more laughter. a full minute of trying not to disturb the rest of the restaurant, and he brought his head back up.

"yeah, things like medicine and lemons, not fucking paper!" he covered his mouth, holding in more snickers while bachira just stared at him. (it was obvious he was trying not to laugh too, though.)

"isagi, our food's here." bachira said smugly. isagi straightened up and to his surprise, the waiter actually was standing there, food in hand. he glared at bachira, who was smirking at him. "thank you, sir." he said as the waiter walked away.

"i fucking hate you, oh my god. i totally just looked like an idiot in front of that dude!" he complained while stuffing his face with sushi.

"first, you are an idiot. second, that's what you get for making fun of me!" isagi rolled his eyes and put a couple sushi rolls on bachira's plate.

"truce, because we're both idiots." he looked at the rolls then back at isagi.

"i think you forgot the part where i hate seaweed. but i accept your truce, here." bachira put a gyoza dumpling on his plate and ate a sushi roll. he visibly gagged, but still ate the whole thing.

"see? eating fish paper isn't so hard." he teased as he ate bachira's food.

"shut up, you actually like what i gave you." there was a tiny smile on his face despite having ate seaweed.

"yeah, true." it was only halfway through the day and isagi already wished he'd never forget it.

  
  
at 2:36PM, bachira was looking through the racks of clothes at his favorite thrift store. _hm... cool, but i have enough graphic tees._ he sighed and moved to look at collared shirts instead. _i think this would suit isagi more than me._ as if on cue, isagi came out of nowhere and was shaking him.

"bachira, look what i found!" he pulled out a plush that was in surprisingly good condition.

"a ty beanie baby lobster?" bachira reached out and grabbed it, wondering why it was so cool to isagi.

"yeah and look what else!" he then showed him a dolphin beanie baby, which made bachira gasp.

"oh my god! this is my favorite animal, why didn't you start with this?" he shoved the lobster back into isagi's hands and held the dolphin in the air like it was a kid who took their first steps.

"cause lobsters are my favorite, duh. anyways, i'm totally gonna get this, you?" isagi held the lobster with both hands, and bachira couldn't help but think it was cute.

"yeah, duh! i only ever look at the clothes, so thanks for finding this." he looked in the dolphin's little beady eyes and smiled softly. _even if isagi doesn't like me the same way, i can always have this._

"c'mon dude, i'm not letting you steal, if that's what you're thinking." bachira looked back up and followed isagi to the cash register, feeling lighter on his feet.

  
  
isagi was walking around the city with bachira, trying to find things to do at 3:25PM. though they were quiet, the city noise filled the void and kept things comfortable.

unfortunately for them, rain started to drip, slowly at first. "ah, fuck. wanna head into a place and wait for the rain to stop?" isagi asked, thinking that the answer was obvious.

"aw, c'mon, you don't wanna play in the rain?" they stopped walking and isagi looked at him, not sure if he was serious.

"you're wearing the two lightest colors on the whole wheel, bachira. and we can't go anywhere if we're sopping wet, duh." he looked into a store window, trying to see which ones they could camp at.

"okay, fine, then what if we went into this place and then went home? even if it is still raining?" bachira pointed at what looked like a dessert shop, smiling wide. _in the end, we both get what we want. why not?_

"yeah, sure. do you know this place?" isagi asked as they walked inside.

"mhm! i've only been here once, and have been trying to find a reason to come back 'cuz it was so good." bachira walked up to the counter and started to order while isagi looked over the menu. _ice cream? uhhhhh-_ "isagi, go." he gave a light nudge and sat down at a table.

"um, can i get milk and sesame swirl? thanks." he quickly paid and joined bachira. "what'd you get?"

"matcha and ube. it's so good, i'll let you have a spoon if i can try whatever you got?" he swung his legs underneath the table and brushed isagi's legs a couple times.

"i got milk and sesame, so sure." isagi paid attention to every little touch made under the table, accident or not. bachira yawned and rested his head down on the bag from the thrift store, even though the dolphin was all that was in it.

"i'm so tired! can you get my ice cream for me?" he asked with puppy dog eyes, which isagi was used to by now.

"no way, i'm not your slave and you'll be less tired if you get it yourself." just a moment later, the employee called for a matcha and ube swirl, to which bachira groaned at. he got up and walked on over to the counter, grabbed some spoons, and came back with two ice creams in hand.

"here, i got yours too, so you owe me." bachira stole a couple spoonfuls before handing him his ice cream. "mmm, that's good! try mine though," he said as he shoved a spoon in isagi's face.

"you needa stop trying to feed me, it's so weird, bachira." isagi took the spoon and didn't think much of his remark until he got kicked in the shin, hard. "hey, ow! what was that for?" though, he didn't need to ask. the answer was written all over bachira's face.

"don't you ever call me that shit again, okay?" a deep frown replaced his usual smile and he had that look in his eyes that just dared isagi to try it again and see what happens. fortunately, isagi really did not want to know what happened. he relaxed, not even realizing he'd tensed up so much in the first place.

"yeah, got it." bachira let out an annoyed huff and aggressively ate his ice cream. _does it seriously bother him that much? i probably shouldn't ask. it's a little late to apologize too. fuck, i probably messed up big._ they spent at least a couple quiet, uncomfortable minutes eating before bachira choked on a laugh.

"should've seen your face, isagi. haven't seen you scared like that since blue lock!" isagi was surprised that the boy who'd wordlessly threatened him was now making light jabs and giggling as if nothing happened.

"wait, so you were joking?" bachira looked more than dissatisfied at his stupid question.

"no, of course i wasn't. doesn't mean i can't make fun of your dumb face, though." he reached across the table and took another spoonful of milk and sesame ice cream. "that's for being a dick, but i forgive you." a little smirk came back to his lips.

"thanks, i guess?" isagi felt the light swing of his legs again and felt relieved. if bachira stayed mad at him, he'd probably never talk to him again out of guilt. he glanced away for a moment, but isagi didn't think much of it.

"wanna go home?" bachira asked, making uncomfortable eye contact.

"what, why? it's still raining and neither of us are done." he sighed and put his head down for a moment.

"let's just go. please?" his words didn't match his expression, one was troubled and the other was seemingly normal and okay. 

"um, alright?" as soon as the words left his mouth, bachira was up and already heading out. isagi followed soon after, still not understanding the situation. they stepped out into the light rain and bachira let out a breath he was obviously holding.

"sorry 'bout that! there was a girl from my school there, and i think she was about to come up and try talking to me." they started walking back to the house, side by side.

"um, okay, but why is that a bad thing? just 'cuz i'm here doesn't mean you can't talk to your other friends." bachira shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at him, confused.

"she's not my friend. if anything, she was probably gonna come talk just to harass me or something." isagi whipped his head around and stopped walking entirely, standing in the rain.

"what the hell? people just do that at your school?" they started walking again, the rain not letting up.

"yeah, but i just avoid them at all costs, so it's all good!" he waved his hand around with a genuine smile and isagi just stared at him in disbelief. _does he hear himself?_

"no it's not?" isagi couldn't believe that wasn't obvious. bachira threw his head back and sighed.

"well what am i supposed to do? can't fight them again, 'cuz i'll actually get in trouble for it. and besides, i don't really care about them, so don't worry, 'kay? i have you and the blue lock boys anyways." he said, knocking their shoulders as light from shops shone on them. their friend group from blue lock was called 'blue lock boys'- coined by nagi- and everyone just went along with it.

"yeah, i guess that's true." bachira smiled at him when he finally gave up the subject and looked content with their situation. isagi felt the same, even if they were on a long walk home in the rain.

  
  
it was 5:48PM and bachira walked out of the bathroom from his shower, feeling less sickly from walking home in the rain. isagi wasn't in his room, so he went to the next best place: the kitchen.

"of course i'd find you here." isagi was sitting on the floor up against some cabinets, lobster plush held close. the microwave was going and some cup ramen was inside.

"hey dude," he said, looking up from the lobster's pinchers. bachira sat down next to him, looking at the plush.

"why lobsters? i'd understand favorite food, but animal?" isagi's whole face lit up at his question, and bachira couldn't help but think it was sweet.

"lobsters are so cool! they're don't die on their own, they don't feel pain so you don't have to feel bad about cooking them, and the way they communicate is, well its gross, but it's still sick!" he had that stupid sparkle in his eyes and bachira couldn't help but appreciate his love for lobsters in that moment. the things he loved always brought out that sparkle when he would babble about them.

"i mean, sure? guess i'm just not a diehard lobster fan like you." he took isagi's lobster out of his hands and tried to see what he saw.

"yeah, but you like dolphins instead, right?" bachira nodded. "dude, i didn't even know that when i saw the plush, it just reminded me of you, so i grabbed it." a warm feeling bloomed in his chest when he said that.

the microwave beeped done and isagi stood up to get his food. "you wanna move to the couch? my ass is sore." _wow, that ruined the moment, dumbass._ though bachira was insulting him in his head, he had a dumb grin on his face as he stood up too.

"yeah, wanna watch scary movies?" he asked as they sat down on opposite sides of the couch. isagi was surprised enough that he jerked back a little.

"what the hell, where'd that come from?" bachira shrugged without a care in the world.

"i don't know, do you have any better ideas?" isagi thought about it for a moment while he ate his noodles. _it's not staring if we're just talking, right?_

"wanna do one on one? first to ten, loser has to do whatever the winner asks for the rest of the night!" he had that fire in his eyes bachira loved so much. it seemed like an interesting wager, and he liked those odds.

he scoffed confidently, "alright, you're on, but don't start complaining when i win and make you do stupid shit." isagi rolled his eyes and looked down on him, physically and metaphorically.

"yeah, right. you're done for, bowl cut." 

"wow, we haven't even started yet and you're already name calling? don't tell me you've gotten boring, isagi?" 

"as if! i'll beat you to a pulp, then who'll be boring?"

"finish eating first, then we'll see."

isagi slouched and ate the rest of his cup ramen, knowing bachira was right. they were bickering and slinging insults at each other, but that was one of the things he liked most about being with isagi. their healthy competition and rivalry was something bachira couldn't find anywhere else, and he couldn't get enough of it.

  
  
they were taking a quick water break, and the score was 5-6, bachira in the lead. he came up to isagi and threw an arm over his shoulders. even though bachira was so close, he couldn't be flustered about it because he knew what was coming. _he's probably gonna brag._

"wow, what happened to not being boring? suggesting this was bold, but i'm beating you at your own game, isagi!" he took a sip of water and looked bachira in the eyes with confidence.

"i already said i'd beat you, i meant it!" bachira had that devilish grin on his face and let go of isagi.

"then let's get back to it. can't wait to see your face when you lose." they put their bottles down and went back into the grass to finish their game.

  
  
"fuuuuuck!" bachira groaned as he laid on the ground in the evening sunlight. the score was 17-15 since they got a tie at game point, so the first one to get a two point lead won, and that happened to be isagi.

"told you i'd win! now go get me some water, would ya?" he was sat next to bachira, who was glaring at him from the ground. "chop, chop. get up, bachira, i'm thirsty!" he sprung up and walked over to get a bottle, flipping isagi off in the process.

"i hate you so much, this is slavery and i think that's illegal." he called out while grabbing their waters.

"pfft, you think? don't you pay attention in school, or is soccer all there is in your head?" isagi took a bottle and their hands brushed together. "thanks."

"not like i have a choice anymore. and you know i hate history! at least i'm only failing that one class, you're failing two whole subjects." bachira sat down next to isagi and got a light punch to the arm.

"shut up! we're both stupid, okay?" bachira laid down again and closed his eyes, paying attention to the breeze passing by instead of his best friend's words. _it's getting dark, which means it'll be nighttime, and isagi will leave tomorrow._ he brought his arm up to cover his face, slightly frustrated. 

"you good? you kinda went quiet." isagi tickled the palm of his hand as he was leaned over. all it took was one good look at him as the orange sunlight shone perfectly on him and bachira got the urge to confess his true feelings.

"you're leaving tomorrow, right?" of course he wasn't going to confess, but he wasn't going to outright lie either. isagi's expression turned pensive and his smile was gone. _great, i fucked it up._

"yeah, around noon. why?" bachira shook his head against the ground.

"nothing, i just wanted to know." he closed his eyes again, finding comfort in the grass. there was so much he wanted to say, but he held his tongue for their friendship's sake. _if i lose isagi over my stupid feelings, what'll happen?_ he'd rather not find out. the sound of buzzing cicadas slowly started to fill his head, and he could've fallen asleep if he really wanted to. the rest of the world didn't want him to, though.

"bachira," isagi said, breaking their silence. he looked up to pay attention, hoping he wasn't just overthinking the way he said his name. "we're best friends, right?" it wasn't the question that scared bachira, it was the uncertainty in his voice.

he sat upright and tried to look as reassuring as possible. (despite the question creating doubts of his own.) "yeah, of course." a smile formed on his lips as the light came back to his face.

"okay, so call me yoichi." bachira's eyes widened and he felt his heart skip a beat at the sudden request.

"seriously?" he nodded. "um, alright, but you have to call me meguru too."

for just a brief moment, isagi looked beyond excited, but he collected himself before bachira could comment on it. "sure! wanna head inside?" he nodded and they walked inside together, neither having addressed the other yet.

"i'mma go get into some pajamas, alright?" isagi walked towards his room and left bachira alone in the living room. he fell face first onto the couch and laid there for a minute, trying to sneak some rest in at 7:20PM. _he's really gonna leave tomorrow. then what? i can't confess like i did to rin, this is completely different._ thoughts distracted him from getting some well deserved shuteye, as usual.

then came a loud noise from his room and a muffled "fuck!" followed soon after. bachira didn't think much of it and lifted his head up lazily.

"you good, isagi?" no answer. "isagi?" still no answer. then he tensed up, realizing something could actually be wrong. bachira jumped up from the couch and ran to his room, hoping everything was okay and he was just overthinking things.

when he arrived, isagi was standing next to his salt lamp that fell over, completely unharmed, yet a dissatisfied look on his face.

"what the hell, i thought you were hurt or something!" bachira let out a sigh as he picked up the lamp and put it back on the shelf it fell off of.

"don't be a pussy, meguru." he was taken aback at the use of his first name, and then remembered what happened just a couple minutes ago. not even bachira could tell if his blush was from hearing his name come from isagi, or from embarrassment having forgotten something so recent.

"oh, guess i forgot already, my bad!" he sheepishly rubbed his neck and yawned wide.

"tired? we did go to bed late and spend the whole day out." bachira nodded and walked over to his bed to go to sleep.

"it's early as fuck, but i'm gonna go to sleep, kay?" he got under the covers and was out faster than usual.

  
  
isagi could not, for the life of him, sleep. it'd been 4 hours since bachira fell asleep and he was scrolling through twitter aimlessly, waiting to feel his eyelids get heavy. they never did.

in the dead of night, there was loud rustling coming from bachira's bed. isagi looked away from his phone and saw bachira sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

"morning." he said, despite it not being past midnight.

"what time is it?" bachira mumbled sleepily.

"eleven o clock." he sighed and looked at isagi, as if in thought.

"wanna go outside? chill out or something?" bachira asked, lacking all his usual energy. _i guess i can't get to sleep either..._

"yeah, sure." they got up lazily and walked around the dark house, courtesy of isagi turning all the lights off. he opened the backdoor and let bachira out first, who plopped himself down in the grass. he patted the ground next to him and isagi sat down, leaning back on his hands.

bachira let out a sigh. "sorry for dragging you out here, i just love the stars. it's nice looking at them together." his voice sounded calm, and whatever worries isagi had melted away.

"yeah, it is." he looked up at the sky too, trying to find constellations. minutes seemed to pass by slower as they sat in the dark together, the moonlight being their only light source.

the silence broke. "isa- yoichi?" bachira said, hesitating to use his first name. "i might regret this in the morning, but... have you ever fallen in love?" isagi did a double take, he wasn't expecting that at all. _does he know? am i really that obvious?_ he decided to just relax and hope bachira didn't notice his nerves.

"yeah, i think i am, why?" he looked away from the sky to make eye contact with isagi.

  
  
_'am'? so he's in love with someone right now?_ bachira tried not to look or sound disappointed with his response. 

"you are? whoever it is, they're really lucky." he hugged his knees up to his chest, hoping to hide his obvious embarrassment. _why would it be me anyways? why did i even think it could possibly be me?_ isagi looked at him intently and he felt like hiding and avoiding his gaze.

"could you do me a favor? since it's still not past midnight." bachira choked on a laugh, relieved that he wasn't gonna keep their talk going.

"still holding my loss against me? yeah, i got no choice and all." isagi moved around so he was facing bachira head on.

"can you tell me what the hell you're actually thinking about?" he froze. "you don't have to lie to me, dude. i trust you completely, so you can trust me too." bachira couldn't even feel guilty about that last comment, he just felt annoyed that isagi read him like a book.

"what i'm really thinking about?" his voice had an edge that it didn't have before. "i'm thinking about how you're in love with someone else, okay?" isagi looked absolutely floored. "i really like you, but i didn't invite you over to take advantage of you, swear. i don't know why i asked you that when we came out here, i didn't even want to confess, it just came out and now i'm rambling and i'm sorry." he sighed and tried to avoid eye contact.

  
  
isagi really could not process what just happened. this sort of thing never really happened to him, usually he the one was doing the confessing.

"you seriously like me?" he asked, dumbfounded. bachira sadly glared at him over his knees with those big eyes.

"yes, quit rubbing it in. actually, just forget this even happened, i'm gonna try and go back to sleep." he unfolded himself and tried standing up, but isagi grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to the ground.

"wait, don't!" bachira yanked his hand away, but stayed on the grass, waiting. "i- sorry, i didn't mean to seem like i was rubbing it in, it's just..." he tried to think of a way to get his point across. a wide smile broke out as he finally got to say his true feelings.

"i was talking about you, meguru. when i said i was in love with someone? it's not someone else, it's always been you."

  
  
bachira felt really stupid for trying to push isagi away before he even gave an answer. he tried holding himself back, in case that was just some cruel prank, but his excitement was written all over his face.

"this is for real? like, you're being serious, right?" he nodded and bachira felt like a weight was lifted off his chest. softly, he started giggling at his own obliviousness. his smile was so wide that it hurt his face, but he couldn't stop. "we're fucking stupid huh?" he asked isagi.

"we? no, you're stupid, i don't know how you didn't see through me when i literally called you hot to your face!" bachira gasped as blood rushed to his face.

"don't lie, you did not say that! and i said it right back, so we're both still dumb either way." though he could barely see, it was obvious isagi was blushing too. "this is seriously happening, right? it's not some sick joke you pulled out of your ass?" he laughed at bachira's vulgarity and laced their hands together.

"i honestly can't believe it either." they made eye contact and that was when he saw it, that sparkle in his eyes. bachira couldn't keep himself together anymore and cupped isagi's jaw, asking for the okay.

"can i?"

"yeah."

and they closed the gap between them. their kiss was everything bachira had wanted and more. it was the way his lips were softer than he'd imagined, the way he kissed back, the way that they were in his backyard, kissing under the moonlight.

  
  
it was the way he was in love with isagi yoichi, and he was in love with bachira meguru back.

  
  
isagi pulled away first, needing a moment so his face wouldn't burst into flames.

"you're really red, it's so cute." bachira teased, wearing a light blush of his own.

"shut up, you're red too." isagi noticed how their hands were still intertwined and didn't really feel like letting go.

"make me shut up then!" bachira leaned in and kissed him again and isagi felt like he was short circuiting even if it was just a quick peck. 

he pressed their foreheads together and whispered, "be my boyfriend, yoichi." there was a certain tenderness to his voice that isagi just couldn't resist.

"obviously, meguru." bachira smiled and stood up, pulling isagi up along with him.

"let's go back inside, kay?" he nodded and allowed bachira to drag him back inside and through the house back to his room. it felt like he was walking on clouds, he was so smitten. they were back and standing in the middle of his room, still holding hands. bachira turned around with a grin on his face and grabbed his other hand.

"do you wanna sleep in my bed tonight?" he asked eagerly. isagi was a little shaken by that, but he definitely wasn't gonna say no.

"yeah, sure." he got under the covers next to bachira and reality finally settled in. "since when did you get so bold and forward?" he laughed at his question and isagi felt his heart pound in his chest; it was one of his favorite sounds.

"i guess it just happened! you were pretty bold too though, so we both got lucky." a too-comfortable silence fell upon them as they stared in each other's eyes. cheesy, but isagi didn't care, he was too busy wondering what business bachira had being so amazing. he wrapped his arms around bachira and tangled his hand in his hair, bringing him closer.

"y'know, when we slept on the couch this morning, i woke up and you were doing this same thing?" bachira said, breaking the silence. isagi tensed up and felt blood rush to his face.

"what?! why didn't you say anything, that's so embarrassing!"

"because i didn't wanna bring it up and have to admit how much i liked it, duh." he felt bachira smile against his chest and didn't even know such a good feeling could exist.

"well, do you still like it?"

"mhm." isagi hugged him tighter as he overflowed with happiness and fell asleep.

  
  
bachira woke up with his limbs tangled up with isagi's, who was already awake.

"morning," he said with a smile that made bachira melt.

"morning! how long have you been watching me sleep, what're you, a creep?" that earned him a little laugh out of isagi and he wished he'd laugh more.

"i'm not, and i've only been awake for like five, maybe ten minutes."

"so you admit to watching me sleep? that makes you a creep, stupid." mean words spoken by an idiot grinning ear to ear.

"alright, but at least i'm not the dumbass that fell in love with one." bachira blushed heavily. _i really am in love, huh?_

"true enough. you wanna get up and eat? i'm kinda hungry."

"yeah, i could go for breakfast." isagi said while running his hands through bachira's hair mindlessly. neither of them got up from bed. "your hair is really soft, like, softer than chigiri or aryu's hair."

"it is not, those two cared more about their hair than life itself, you're just overdramatic." despite his rebuttal, the compliment made him feel good. nobody had said that about his hair before. in fact, no one had cared about his hair that much besides his parents and hair dresser.

"am not." isagi propped himself up on the bed and yawned, "okay, let's actually eat now, i'm for real hungry." they got up sleepily and headed toward the kitchen. (though, neither of them wanted to give up the close company, so they linked pinkies while walking.)

"what do you want, we have eggs, cereal i think, toast?" bachira really didn't know what food they had, he always skipped breakfast anyways.

"eggs on toast sounds good. anything is better than the shit water you call coffee though." he gave a light slap to isagi's arm as they broke into different directions.

"don't call it shit water! it's just an acquired taste that you're not used to." bachira explained from the cabinets, grabbing pans.

"why would you even want to acquire that taste? and where are your eggs? actually never mind i found them." isagi laughed at himself and put the eggs down on the counter. bachira realized that there was still coffee in the pot from yesterday, so to spite isagi, he drank some without him knowing.

"c'mon, truce? let's just make breakfast, 'kay?" he tried to seem as convincing as possible before planting a kiss on isagi's lips. at first, he went with it, then realized what bachira was up to and pulled away, giggling.

"gross, meguru, you're the worst!" isagi exclaimed as he went back to making eggs, leaving bachira to make toast.

"you know, i'm never gonna get sick of hearing you say my name?" it sounded lame, but it really was true.

"yeah, wish i could say the same though." he complained obnoxiously. bachira rolled his eyes and put some bread in the toaster, though he knew both of them weren't serious.

"sorry, yoichi," extra emphasis on his name, "but i'm not used to calling people by their first names, it's just a process." isagi gave him a confused look as he flipped an egg over.

"you're not used to a lot of things, huh?" the question felt like a jab, but bachira tried not to take it personally.

"no, it's like i said the other day, some things i missed out on." he grabbed plates from the cupboards and set them next to the toaster.

"wait, so am i your first boyfriend? first kiss, too?" isagi asked suggestively. there was no way bachira was gonna let him have the benefit of the doubt.

"nope, neither!" to his annoyance, isagi looked surprised. "oh come on, don't look so shocked!" bachira gave a light kick to his ankle and he laughed sheepishly.

"it's not like that, swear! it's just, you're both of my firsts. was kinda hoping we were in the same boat, y'know?" bachira's jaw dropped and he tried covering up some giggles. "oh my god, you're actually the worst, i'm gonna eat your egg for this."

"nooo! i just think it's cute, let me have an egg, please!" he whined while shaking isagi. the toast popped up and bachira set them on plate, holding them out for the eggs.

"you think me being a dumbass when it comes to this is cute?" sliding the eggs from pan to plate, isagi eyed him.

"yeah, 'cuz it is. i get bragging rights and i get to show you the ropes!" they took their plates and moved their conversation to the more comfortable couch.

"you don't get to show me shit, i bet you were one of those kids who got their first kiss at a really young age and didn't even know what it meant." bachira laughed while eating his toast, almost choking on it.

"that is so passive aggressive! and i had mine in middle school, so don't even come for me like that." isagi rolled his eyes, having been proven wrong.

"ok, but be real, am i better than your middle school kiss? i totally am, right?"

"trust me, leagues better." bachira took an extra aggressive bite of his toast, he hated thinking about middle school.

"damn, it was that bad?" aggressive head nod.

"so fucking bad. it doesn't matter anymore though, i have you!" he beamed at isagi and he wore a light blush of his own.

"yeah, me too." they continued to eat their breakfast in comfortable silence, not even realizing how little time they had left.

  
  
isagi was back in bed with bachira, who was staring into his eyes and being super touchy.

"i love your eyes so much, yoichi. they're so captivating." he whispered so gently, that isagi almost didn't hear.

"what is it with you and eyes? first you paint them and now this?" he hadn't meant to sound judgmental, but bachira's breath hitched and he froze against isagi.

"um, i-i'm sorry, i'll stop if you want." his own eyes darted away guiltily as he took his hand away from isagi's face.

"don't be sorry, i was just curious is all. i don't think it's weird or anything like that." bachira's expression softened, but he didn't dare look back up.

"you don't?" isagi shook his head. "i just have... a 'thing' for them. that's it."

"a 'thing' for them?" bachira's hard blush and bashfulness answered his question. "oh."

"yeah..." his voice trailed off as his body stiffened more.

"well i don't care if you like my eyes that much, and besides," isagi grabbed his chin and tilted it up to properly see his face. "i like yours too. maybe not the same way you do, but they're yellow and pretty like honey." it wasn't such a high compliment like 'captivating' or a painting, but it seemed to get the job done, because bachira was getting teary.

"i really don't deserve you, y'know? god, i love you so much." he reached up and kissed isagi, who smiled against his lips. the feeling was still so mesmerizing and he could never get enough of bachira.

"d'you know what time it is?" he asked when they pulled away. bachira turned on his phone for a moment and went wide eyed.

"it's eleven." that meant isagi would have to leave soon. _time just couldn't be on my side for once?_

"shit... we have to get back up." neither of them wanted to, but he still got up and started putting things back in his bag.

"do you really have to leave? can't you just say the train went off the tracks and you're staying here another night to stay safe?" isagi stopped what he was doing and gave him a look that said 'seriously?'. "kay, fine. i just wish you didn't have to go, we didn't get to spend any time together!"

"we had an evening, a whole day, and this morning. i don't wanna leave either, but the weekend just passed by so fast." bachira stood up and looked for isagi's things while he talked.

"i mean we didn't get any time to ourselves like this. as boyfriends! we had last night and this morning and now you're leaving and it sucks." the word 'boyfriend' threw isagi for a loop, he wasn't quite used to hearing it. it still made his heart pound though.

"that's true, but i'm not leaving right this second, i just need to get ready. we can be boyfriends for, like, an hour." he stuffed some clothes inside and looked around for whatever was missing.

"lobster's with me, don't worry. we need to do something like this again, like maybe i can come over to your place and steal your food and sleep in your bed. that'd be fun!" bachira said as he tossed around his lobster in the air.

"give him back! go toss your dolphin around or something." isagi snatched the lobster plush while it was midair and gently placed it in his bag. "the walk to the station is like half an hour, so we'll have to leave soon, okay?" he was glancing around the floor, making sure he wasn't forgetting anything when his eyes fell on a sketchbook and he picked it up.

"yoichi, put that shit down or i'll never kiss you again!" bachira threatened as he tried taking the sketchbook, but luckily isagi pushed him away.

"you wouldn't do that. but it seems you're finally getting comfortable with my name, huh?" he said smugly while holding it out of bachira's reach.

"okay, you're right, but seriously, give it! i'll show you one drawing if you just hand it over." isagi thought about it for a moment and hesitantly gave it to bachira, who sighed a breath of relief.

"hang on, lemme pick one out..." he flipped through pages, shielding its contents. "okay, here." when he flipped it around, isagi first noticed the very big picture, then the other little doodles and notes off to the sides. firstly, the big picture was one he recognized, but didn't know why.

"this looks really familiar? why?" bachira laughed to himself and took the sketchbook into his hands.

"i had a feeling you'd say something like that. this is the last play you made, back in our last match in the second selection, remember? it's just a different perspective and i replaced us with 'monsters' 'cuz they're easier to draw than people." he handed it back to isagi and once he really looked at it, he saw what bachira was talking about. 

the 'monsters' he mentioned were basically figures of black gas that looked like people whose only defining features were their lawless facial expressions. they were in front of a scribbly goal and even less defined blue lock man and isagi remembered that exact moment he'd drawn. when he'd surpassed rin for the first time.

"this is so cool, meguru. why didn't you ever mention you could do art like this?" he read the little notes in various corners, 'bllkman ugly but he was ugly irl so its ok' 'ball go whee god i hate drawing soccer balls so much' 'isagi yoichi brain rot' that last little note made him blush, but he wasn't going to say anything.

"because people are always like 'draw me' or 'i owe you money? how hard can drawing even be?' or 'lemme look through your sketchbook, you're being a shitty bo- person for not letting me look through something so obviously personal, fuck off, bachira' " he paused for an awkward moment. "sorry, that last one was a little specific, but you get the idea! people are just rude and entitled about it." isagi looked up from the sketchbook and gave him a weird look.

"jeez, who said that last one? sounds like they got under your skin or something." bachira avoided eye contact and sighed.

"yeah, he did. my ex-boyfriend said that to me, though i exaggerated it a little. still made me mad though." isagi felt his whole body freeze. _i can't believe i forgot he actually had a boyfriend before... i'm the dumbest person on the planet,_ he thought while trying not to look too mortified.

"oh, sorry for bringing it up then." bachira waved it off and took the sketchbook and closed it.

"don't be, it's his fault for being a piece of shit! i don't mind showing you these because you're pretty nice about it, so thanks." he smiled at isagi and put the book back on his desk, ending their conversation. _he was way too enthusiastic about calling him a piece of shit.._

"you think we should be going soon?" isagi asked, even though he didn't want to leave himself.

bachira sighed, "yeah, you're probably right. lets get into some real clothes."

  
  
bachira wished he and isagi didn't walk so fast, because they were standing in front of the station. he wanted to kiss isagi one last time before he left, but knew they couldn't do that in public.

"you wanna go behind a wall or something so we can, y'know?" he asked, clearly desperate.

"yeah, i was hoping we wouldn't have to leave without one." isagi lead them around, looking for somewhere as private as possible that wasn't a bathroom. a couple dead ends and turned corners later, they found a small space that no one would have any reason to go to (unless they were those two boys). it didn't take long for them to forget their surroundings and think of only themselves.

"i wish we had more time," bachira whispered against isagi's lips before kissing them. it took him by surprise when isagi deepened the kiss so they were fully making out, but he wasn't complaining. he loved the way isagi felt against his lips and the way he tasted. it would be the last time they would see each other for who knows how long, so they had to make it count. bachira was getting pressed up on the wall, things were getting rough and a wandering hand went where it shouldn't, especially in their situation-

though he didn't want to, bachira pushed him away, breathless. "holy shit, we're in public, remember!" it took isagi a moment, but things clicked and he let go of bachira's thigh while laughing at himself.

"sorry, i got a little carried away. it's just so easy with you, y'know?" isagi's little comment made him blush more than he already was, and that was a lot. he stepped away from bachira (who missed their close proximity) and grabbed his bag from the ground. they walked together, trying not to seem obvious and it got to the point where bachira couldn't walk with him anymore and they had to actually leave each other.

"i'll see you later, yoichi. you better text me, 'kay?" he was trying to sound okay, but his tone of voice gave him away.

"obviously, i'm not stupid." they stood still for a minute, taking one last good look at the other. then, almost synchronized, they rushed into each others' arms and hugged tightly.

"i love you." bachira whispered in his ear, hoping no one would hear.

"i love you too, meguru." isagi whispered back. they pulled away and he finally turned his back and eventually went out of bachira's view. he sighed and started walking back home, touching the pads of his fingers to his lips, missing isagi's.

he was able to walk a good handful of meters away before a voice called out his last name. a voice he never wanted to hear again.

"you're still messing around with boys, bachira?" his ex-boyfriend said smugly. he'd dated bachira back when he was questioning, which wouldn't be a problem if only he wasn't so blatantly homophobic now. not to mention he didn't even treat bachira well when they were together. 

"fuck off, i'm not 'messing around' with anybody, we're dating. it's not even your business and it hasn't been for the past three years, why are you even talking to me?" bachira walked up to him and grabbed the collar of his shirt, clearly threatening him.

"woah, chill out! i just asked a question, what's so wrong with that? can't you talk like a normal person, or is that monster still getting to your head?" _i really should beat him up. i know i can do it and i deserve it._ to bachira's disappointment, he threw his ex back on his feet and watched him stumble and find balance. he knew that he'd only be proving his point, so he walked away from the situation. still flipped him off though.

 _can't believe he ruined such a good day. ugh._ he grabbed his phone from his pocket and texted isagi, hoping to rant out his problems.

 **meguru <3 :** u will not BELIEVE what just happened to me >:(

 **meguru <3 :** WHEN DID YOU CHANGE OUR NAMES?????

their names changed from their last names to their firsts and both had a heart next to them. bachira thought it was cute and sweet of isagi to do something as simple as that.

 **yoichi <3 :** last night lol

 **yoichi <3 :** what happened tho

 **meguru <3 :** my homophobic ex b*yfriend harassed me like as soon as i walked out

 **yoichi <3 :** wtf how are u gonna have a bf and be homophobic ?

 **meguru <3 :** EXACTLYYY

 **meguru <3 :** anyways i miss you come back !

 **yoichi <3 :** ya ok lemme just do ask the train to do a u turn

 **yoichi <3 :** train said no

 **yoichi <3 :** gtg :( ill text u later

 **meguru <3 :** byeeee

bachira walked back home alone, missing everything about his boyfriend.

  
  
it had been quite some time since isagi had left. in fact, it'd been a couple weeks and he was laying in bed and cuddling his tiny lobster at his house. he lazily grabbed his phone and called bachira, an idea in mind.

_calling meguru <3 ... ... "hey!"_

"come over this weekend, i miss you and we haven't seen each other in a while."

 _"kay, i'll be there!"_ isagi smiled on the other side of the phone. he couldn't wait to see bachira again.

**Author's Note:**

> HEY THIS TOOK ME 3 WEEKS TO WRITE AND IK ITS LONG BUT THANK YOU IF YOU MADE IT TO THE END ILYSM <3333 IM ON [TWITTER](https://twitter.com/eucverse) TOO IF YOU WANNA BE MOOTS


End file.
